Virginia Democrats set to pick nominees in closely watched 2025 primaries

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats are set on Tuesday to pick their nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general, rounding out the statewide ticket and setting the stage for a bellwether election later this year.

Most of the nominees slated to be at the top of the November ticket have already been picked, and Republicans aren’t even having a statewide primary.

In the race for governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, whose candidacy thwarted prospective primary challengers, will go up against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears — the only Republican who qualified for the ballot. Republicans have also solidified nominees for lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Virginia is one of two states that host statewide elections the year after a presidential election — New Jersey is the other — and the races are typically seen as referendums on the party in power before Congress heads into midterm elections.

Analysts will be looking for clues in both states about voter sentiment with President Donald Trump back in the Oval Office and Republicans controlling power in Washington.

Democrats’ hold on Virginia has slipped in recent years, moving it close to swing-state status nationally. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin beat former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021. And although Democrats narrowly gained back complete control of the legislature in a 2023 election, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won Virginia last year by less than six points, compared to former President Joe Biden’s 10-point lead in 2020.

Still, Democrats have history on their side: The party of the sitting president typically suffers defeat in Virginia’s statewide races. And considering Trump has never won the state, Democrats are probably better positioned to make gains once their ticket solidifies.

Six Democrats seeking to be lieutenant governor

The six Democrats vying to be Virginia’s next lieutenant governor aren’t all that different on the issues: They support rights to abortion, a living wage, affordable housing and accessible health care. They also share similar criticisms of Trump.

The candidates notably fracture along regional lines, and distinctions emerge in what they have emphasized in stump speeches along the campaign trail.

Former Richmond City Mayor Levar Stoney has touted his ties to the Democratic Party and experience working under former Govs. Mark Warner and Terry McAuliffe. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg endorsed his campaign in June.

State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi is also from the Richmond area, representing part of the city and suburbs. Hashmi has pushed reproductive health in her bid and has been endorsed by abortion rights political action committees.

Virginia Sen. Aaron Rouse, from Virginia Beach with ties to southwest Virginia, has also highlighted his legislative accomplishments.

Prince William County School Board Chair Barbur Lateef, former federal prosecutor Victor Salgado and retired U.S. Department of Labor worker Alex Bastani are from northern Virginia.

Lateef, an eye surgeon, has honed in on education and health care. Salgado has stressed the importance of strengthening democracy, and Bastani has emphasized labor rights.

County prosecutor vs. former delegate in race for attorney general

Former Del. Jay Jones and Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor are seeking to be the next attorney general.

Jones, who once represented Norfolk in the House of Delegates, comes from a long line of Hampton Roads politicians. His father was also a delegate, and his grandfather was the first Black member of the Norfolk School Board. Jones previously ran for attorney general in 2021 but lost the primary to Democratic incumbent Mark Herring.

Taylor has served more than a decade as the top prosecutor in the suburbs outside Richmond after flipping the open seat in 2011. Notable cases include when she was appointed special prosecutor in the case of the torch-carrying mob in the fatal 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist riot. She took one of the torch carriers to trial, records show, but the case was dismissed after a hung verdict.

A Republican ticket for a divided party

Only one Republican candidate in each statewide contest is advancing to the ballot.

Earle-Sears became the gubernatorial nominee after Republicans Dave LaRock and Amanda Chase failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Both LaRock and Chase initially challenged Earle-Sears for not being fully aligned with Trump.

Conservative talk-radio host John Reid became the de facto nominee for lieutenant governor after his primary opponent left the race, and despite intraparty quarreling over whether he was tied to a social media account reposting pornography.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sailed to his spot on the ballot after announcing his reelection bid.

Downballot races in the House of Delegates

All 100 seats of the House of Delegates are up for election in November, and some nomination contests are taking place in Virginia’s more competitive districts.

Democrats May Nivar and Andrew Schear are racing to take on Republican incumbent Del. David Owen in a Richmond-area district that House liberals are vying to flip.

Three Democrats are running to battle Republican Del. Carrie Coyner in a Petersburg-area district.

Two Republicans and two Democrats will have separate primaries to fill a competitive seat in the Chesapeake area, which opened after Republican Rep. Baxter Ennis announced his retirement.

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Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.